WINDSOR WEST RESULTS

For the first time in almost 20 years, the riding of Windsor West will not be held by the Ontario Liberal Party.

Incumbent Teresa Piruzza lost her seat in the legislature on Thursday night to New Democrat challenger Lisa Gretzky by approximately 1,000 votes – a margin of about three per cent.

It was Piruzza’s first term as MPP and minister of children and youth services.

“My apologies to each and every one of you,” Piruzza said to Liberal supporters at a gathering in the Ciociaro Club.

The 45-year-old mother of two admitted she was “disappointed” in the outcome, but said her team knew that Windsor West was a “targeted riding” and that the Ontario NDP were “pouring their resources” to win a close race.

“There is absolutely nothing that we could have done differently through this campaign that would have changed it. We certainly played our local game,” Piruzza told the crowd.

Gretzky jumped to an early lead when reports from voting stations first came rolling in – as predicted by informal projections.

Teresa Piruzza delivers a speech after losing the riding of Windsor-West during the provincial election on June 12, 2014. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Piruzza would not make up the distance. By the time half of Windsor West’s stations had tallied their votes, Gretzky’s lead was at 10 points. The difference narrowed significantly later in the night with results from the remaining stations, but Gretzky held onto the lead to emerge victorious.

Piruzza’s loss marks an end to a Liberal legacy since 1995, when Sandra Pupatello took the riding from NDP incumbent George Dadamo. In the 2011 general election, Piruzza succeeded Pupatello by earning 14,127 votes – a 41.3 per cent of total votes and an 11-point difference over her NDP challenger.

Piruzza said it was “a great experience” to represent Windsor West during her time as MPP. “Not too many get that opportunity. We made a difference here in this community, and in my ministry as well.”

Despite her loss, Piruzza said she is “proud and pleased” that the province at large has decided on a Liberal majority government. She said she and other Liberals would continue to work for the community.

“As I look out over this crowd, I see the strength of Windsor,” she told cheering supporters.

The mood was much more upbeat at the Gretzky party. The chants started with NDP, NDP and ended with LISA, LISA.

She said the result, a convincing win by about 1,000 votes over Liberal junior cabinet minister Teresa Piruzza, shows that the party plan to make life more affordable and bring jobs to the community resonated with voters.

“I promise, I will live up to those promises that have been made and I will be a strong voice for Windsor West,” she declared.

With her husband Tyler and their two children Morgan and Jacob at her side, Gretzky told the crowd that without the help of campaign volunteers, “I don’t think I’d be standing here.”

MP Brian Masse (NDP — Windsor West) introduced Gretzky and illicited great hoots of celebration when he announced that PC Leader Tim Hudak had just resigned. Masse said Gretzky campaigned hard every single day.

“She knocked on doors and listened to people, heard their concerns, talked to them,” said Masse, who knocked on doors with her when he was home from Ottawa.

Gretzky said she thinks Masse’s presence helped her win, tying her candidacy with an established NDP politician who also represents the riding. “It showed the NDP is and will continue to be a very strong voice in Windsor West.”

Independent candidate Helmi Charif, who has been defeated twice running for the NDP – in 2007 in Windsor-Tecumseh and in 2011 in Windsor West – felt mistreated by his former party for not nominating him again.

“The NDP betrayed me,” he said, claiming that his supporters were not informed about the NDP nomination meeting in Windsor West. “They shut us out.”

Nevertheless, Charif pledged to run again, leaving open provincial, federal and even municipal politics in the future.

“I want to prove that the power of the people is stronger than the people in power.”

Henry Lau, Windsor West PC candidate, a former tool-and-die business owner who ran for city council eight years ago, said he learned a lot from his first attempt at provincial politics. Lau said he’s not disappointed that PC leader Tim Hudak never came to Windsor during the election. But he does feel Hudak’s promise to cut 100,000 jobs didn’t go over well.

“Somehow people got scared by the 100,000 job cuts,” he said. “But it wasn’t all right away. It was over four years.”

Windsor West Green candidate Chad Durocher, running for his second time in the riding, said this election proved that his party is gaining momentum.

“Last time was tough,” he said at Green party at the Kildare House. “But this time was great. I actually had people helping. There were smiles all around. I got more people this time saying I read your platform and I like it.”

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